3 FROM THE PRESIDENT
4
CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY MNLA Awards from the Green Expo
8 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
9
10
NEW CERTIFIED PLANT PROFESSIONALS
LOOKING AHEAD CALENDAR
NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MNLA MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 20353 • Billings, MT 59104 406.755.3079 • www.plantingmontana.com
12
MNLA BOZEMAN CHAPTER KICKOFF
ADDING TO THE TEAMBOARD MEMBER ELECTION
14 IN THE BOARD ROOM
16
LEGACY PLANNING - PART 1
Who gets your assets if you die without a written will.
17 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP AWARD
Honoring Brad and Desi Brown of Glacier Nursery
18 THAT’S A WRAP!
Montana Green Expo and Northern Rockiers Tree School 2024
DISCLAIMER: The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements, or their identification as members of the MNLA does not constitute an endorsement of their products or featured services.
REPRINT PERMISSION: Reprints of original articles may be granted upon request. Contact info@plantingmontana.com with requests.
To the MNLA members, I hope this letter finds you all in good health, well rested, and eager for another impending Spring here in Montana. I am honored to be your incoming President and would like to give Matt Watts a huge thank you for serving as President for the last two years.
Being the president of the MNLA is a position that puts me out of my comfort zone, but the experience I have had serving on the board for the past four years has helped me grow both personally and professionally. There are so many wonderful members of our organization and the board of directors is a great representation of the MNLA. Change is a good thing. The way the MNLA is structured the board changes completely every five or so years. This change brings new ideas and perspectives to our attention and allows us to grow and adapt to different challenges.
There are so many different individuals and companies within this organization. We have everybody from wholesale nurseries like our newest lifetime member honorees, Brad and Desi Brown at Glacier Nursery, to landscaping companies like Greenspace Landscaping, who took home the ‘Best Residential Landscape’ honors at our Awards Banquet in January. These few examples and the rest of our members are what make the MNLA such a great organization.
Thank you for trusting myself and all the other board members to continue to lead the MNLA in the right direction. Thank you for being open to changes necessary to grow this organization. Lastly, thank you for your continued support, without all of you there is no MNLA.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon, but until then enjoy the last few days of Winter, and the thought of warmer weather to come.
Cheers,
Peter Hiel MNLA President
Peter Hiel
Gardenwerks
Helena, MT
1st VICE PRESIDENT
James Hoiland
Green Up Lawn & Landscape
Sprinklers
Great Falls, MT PRESIDENT
2nd VICE PRESIDENT
John Spray
The Good Earth Works Co. Billings, MT
3rd VICE PRESIDENT
Aaron Mihelish
Pro Sweep Plus Missoula, MT
Joe Sansone
Oldcastle Polson, MT
Matt Watts
Pro Sweep Plus
Missoula, MT
Pat Appleby
Compost Happens Gardening
Florence, MT
Kristi Browning, CPP Cashman Nursery Bozeman, MT
TREE SCHOOL CHAIR
Mike Garvey
Garvey’s Urban Forest Billings, MT
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Gina Albaugh
MNLA Billings, MT
Since its inception, the MNLA Awards Program has recognized and honored some of Montana’s most talented and dedicated green-industry professionals. In early January, we were able to celebrate another incredible year of achievement, as we gathered for our annual Awards Banquet during the Montana Green Expo. The following pages show a glimpse of the remarkable projects that were submitted this year. Thank you to everyone who shared their projects, and congratulations to all the deserving winners!
1st Place Best of Montana Landscapes, Residential Category Greenspace Landscaping, Bozeman, MT
At the start of this remodel project, we were faced with a historic home that nurtured a stark, water hungry span of lawn and weeds. Greenspace Landscaping created a design that was formal in style, using light and airy plants that planted in drifts created an ethereal touch to the garden. Texture and layering played a large role in plant choice. The pictures show the dramatic transformation. After stripping the grass to a blank palette and solving negative drainage problems we focused on hardscaping. We installed an
extensive bluestone patio with several pathways and a traditional
white pergola. We merged plants from one microenvironment to the next, blending bold and delicate foliage and flowers. The function and color of the hardscaping harmonized with the planting plan all of which added grace and elegance to the landscape. A netafim and drip irrigation system was installed for water conservation.
The project is not only special to us due to its overall beauty but also how landscaping can bring people together. We have become close friends with the client and feel lucky to be in a business that nurtures not only plants but also a friendship that will last a lifetime.
2nd Place Best of Montana Landscapes, Residential Category
Valley of the Flowers Landscaping, Bozeman, MT
3rd Place Best of Montana Landscapes, Residential Category
Highridge Landscapes, Bozeman, MT
1st Place Best of Montana Landscapes, Hardscape Category
Outdoor Design Studios, Bozeman, MT
This residential landscape in the Black Bull neighborhood west of Bozeman, was a design & build project installed in the summer of 2022. The design integrates a custom fire pit patio with mixed planting beds, vegetative privacy buffer, a backyard pondless water feature, and great mountain views to the north.
The patio is accessed via large dragonfly boulder step-stones that descend from the backyard to the lower patio area. At the lower crossing, the patio directly interacts with the stream along its entire edge.
The patio features a boulder seat wall that also retains the planting beds above, custom sandstone flagstone cut to squares and recs, and a sunken recycled crusher cone fire pit equipped with a powerful gas burner. The patio is sized perfectly to accommodate the residing family on a chilly night, or to comfortably host a dinner party with friends.
Highridge Landscapes, Bozeman, MT
A previous company installed a landscape on this property that almost immediately failed.
A combination of a challenging establishment summer, constant high winds and deer pressure that was much greater than anticipated, led to its very sudden demise.
patio area below. Though the stream is pondless, the water leads your eye towards a natural pond and wetland, and further across the valley to the Bridger Mountain Range. The client desired an intimate lawn space for yoga where they could hear the noise of the water.
A custom-built steel structure divides the flat turf area and the flowing water just below. With raised steel edging the lawn goes right to the water, creating an infinity edge-like effect. This was a tricky interface to build, but the installation was successful and the system functions just as intended. The stream also interacts with the patio edge. There are two step-stone crossings with large dragonfly boulders that descend to the lower area, and multiple waterfalls along the 100-foot-long stream.
Armed with the knowledge of what didn’t work, Highridge Landscapes put together an ambitious plan to create a landscape that felt like it belonged to the house. Over 800 perennials were added – all of which were chosen for their deer resistance, wind tolerance and heat exposure – along with their bloom period and impact. The result was a landscape that established well in its first year and gave scale to the existing rock beds, architectural features and most importantly, large windows. There’s now room for incremental improvements for seasons to come as the landscape matures.
Outdoor Design Studios, Bozeman, MT
This residential landscape in the Black Bull neighborhood west of Bozeman was a design & build project, installed the summer of 2022. The design integrates a pondless water feature with an active lawn space, vegetative privacy buffer, and a fire pit
1st Place Best of Montana Landscapes, Commercial Category
Outdoor Design Studios, Bozeman, MT
The new Bar 72 restaurant at the Black Bull Golf Course is located next to the existing clubhouse,
member pool area, and the 18th green. Along with the new construction, the existing clubhouse
Valley of the Flowers Landscaping, Bozeman, MT
Trying to fit the nature of this modern home with unique, funky décor tucked into the base of the Bridgers was a fun challenge. While not using many traditional annual flower choices, we focused more on texture and the uniqueness of each plant we selected. In this one patio area, we also had to consider sun exposure. While the main long container was full sun, one was partial and one was full shade, yet we were still able to make them similar, yet uniquely different.
entry gardens and parking lot landscape have been redesigned. The design transformed the outdated and overgrown, water-dependent landscape of the past into a colorful and textural, drought tolerant landscape. The mix of perennials, grasses, and shrubs turned large swaths of turfgrass into a garden with multi-seasonal interest, pollinator friendly species, and colorful entry beds. The new Bar 72 restaurant takes a slightly more modern approach with linear planting schemes. This leaves the main focus on the surrounding golf course and Bridger Mountain views.
Highridge Landscapes, Bozeman, MT
The Good Earth Works Co., Billings, MT
Ben Bearss, Last Best Place Landscaping – Bozeman, MT
Jane Beggs-Joles, Spring Meadow Nursery – Grand Haven, MI
Gavyn Brubaker, Greenleaf Landscape Mgm’t. – Great Falls, MT
Lyle Coleman, Coleman Sprinklers – Stevensville, MT
Trevor Cranney, Paragon Plants – Logan, UT
John Dohner, ID MT American Society of Landscape Architects – Boise, ID
Kimberly Hawkins, Alpine Floral – Lewistown, MT
Beverly Hilmo, Able Tree Service – Missoula, MT
Sarah Holden, Missoula Co. Extension – Missoula, MT
Elizabeth Jensen, Colstrip Parks & Rec District – Colstrip, MT
Maggie Joy, Yellowstone Valley Tree Surgeons
– Billings, MT
Ann McKean – Billings, MT
Aaron Mihelish, MFW Landscape & Design
– Missoula, MT
Lessa Millard Racow, inContour – Bozeman, MT
Josh Poffenroth, Foothills Nurseries – Alberta, Canada
Patrick Pozzi, Wood Solutions – Missoula, MT
Scott Samson, Home Range Landscapes – Belgrade, MT
Jeff Spooner, Outdoor Living – Billings, MT
Craig Stensby, Stensby Tree Services – Billings, MT
Mark Stotts, Sheridan College – Sheridan, WY
Jake Thuesen, Thuesen Landscape – Billings, MT
Kima Traynham, MT Dept. of Agriculture – Helena, MT
Sarah Urban, Westscape Wholesale Nursery – Belgrade, MT
Rebekah VanWieren, MT State Univ. – Bozeman, MT
Glade Young, Youngs Tree and Forestry – Bozeman, MT
We had three applicants take their CPP Exam at the January Green Expo in Billings. All three passed! Congratulations to Stephanie Ligon of Canyon Creek Nursery, Sarah Frankenberg of Cashman Nursery, and Madalyn Johnson of Good Earth Works.
The CPP Exam is a two-part exam with an ID portion and a written portion. The study manual for the exam is about 3” thick! The ID portion consists of being provided with 50 plant samples; applicants must accurately ID each plant as well as list the
“When I retired in 2020 (after 27 years in IT), my goals included pursuing my interest in beekeeping, and becoming a better gardener and advocate for pollinators. In 2021 I became a MT Master Gardener, found a part time position at Canyon Creek Nursery, and was quickly smitten with learning about horticulture. I find it very fulfilling matching customers with the perfect plants or trees for their space and lifestyle, and sharing information for successful planting and caring. Becoming a CPP was a great challenge and knowledge boost which helped me immerse myself in this newfound love of horticulture.”
genus, species, and common name of each sample. The written portion is a 200-question multiple choice exam with questions ranging from pest life cycles to best cultural practices, to fertilizer rates, and much more. Passing the CPP takes time and dedication; all CPPs should be proud of their achievement.
If you are interested in joining this elite group of the industry you can check out the CPP section of the MNLA webpage www.plantingmontana.com/ certification.
Congratulations again to our newest CPPs!
“Horticulture is one of my many loves. I have grown up under the excellent tutelage of my mother, Claire Johnson, and I have worked in the plant industry since I was a teenager. This achievement gives me more confidence in my ability to educate and assist my customers at the nursery. In addition to obsessively identifying plant species, I can also be found performing music in the Billings area with the Billings Symphony, Billings Community Band, and The Soul Funk Collective. I am also working toward obtaining an educator’s license to teach school music.”
Hello, and Happy Spring! It was nice to see so many of you at the Montana Green Expo and Northern Rockies Tree School in January. I’m happy to report that both events were successful – a huge thank you to Peter Hiel for pouring hours into planning an awesome Green Expo, and to Mike Garvey for working so tirelessly to bring back the NRTS. Both events offered top-notch education and great networking. In fact, everything went so well that we decided to do it all over again! We’ll be hosting the NRTS alongside the Green Expo once again next year. If you didn’t get a chance to attend this year, join us January 7-9th in Missoula. It’s going to be great!
As the year begins, we have a few deadlines to remind you of; new funding cycles are open for the Community Beautification Fund and the Scholarship Program. Both of these programs are funded by the Silent Auction that is held during the Expo; thank you for everyone who either donated or purchased an auction item! Make sure to put March 31st on your calendars if you have any students bound for higher-education in
your immediate family or crew. Short-course scholarships are also available for continuing education programs. More information can be found at www.plantingmontana. com/scholarships. Applications for the Community Beautification Fund (CBF) are being accepted through March 31st. As a reminder, the CBF was established to help improve and beautify public spaces in your community. If you have a project to submit for consideration, you can download the application and view past projects on our website: www. plantingmontana.com/Community_ Beautification.
Make sure you check out the article on awards for the Best of Montana Landscape and Container Planting competitions. Your fellow MNLA members submitted some impressive projects. Congratulate the winners the next time you see them, and don’t forget to keep your camera handy for the projects you’re working on this year! As always, I’m just a call or email away: 406-755-3079, gina@ plantingmontana.com. Here’s to a successful season!
Gina Albaugh MNLA Executive Director
Over 900 varieties of trees, shrubs, evergreens and perennials.
Plants suited to the rigors of Montana’s climate and synchronized to Montana’s seasons with late spring frosts and early fall freezes.
Timely deliveries to your yard or job site throughout the planting season
I’m excited to announce that during the 2024 season the MNLA will be forming a second local chapter in Bozeman! We will soon be holding monthly meetings and hope to see you there.
What is a local MNLA Chapter all about?
A local MNLA chapter’s primary function is to provide training and networking opportunities. Currently MNLA hosts two large gatherings per year: a tour of nurseries and landscapes that rotates throughout the state and a tradeshow/expo in January. Smaller local meetings allow for continuing education that is more readily available throughout the season.
Are meetings for business owners or staff or…? Everyone who is a participant in the industry has something to share and something to gain.
What if I don’t live in Bozeman?
If you can make it to our meetings, you are welcome to join us. We would love to have you there.
Currently there is a well-established chapter in Billings, MT and they have prepared an extensive guideline that covers everything from event insurance to training topics and so much more. Find a few like-minded individuals in your area and reach out to our Executive Director, Gina Albaugh, to arrange a meeting to help you get started.
We will be scheduling monthly meetings as the season progresses, hopefully through the Summer and Fall. Contact our Executive Director, Gina Albaugh, at her email address gina@ plantingmontana.com to get on our email list so you get all the meeting notifications and updates. In particular keep an eye out for our upcoming fundraiser kickoff.
Board Member elections were held during our Annual Meeting in January. We are excited to welcome Aaron Mihelish as 3rd Vice President! Aaron jumped right in to service at the Montana Green Expo, and comes highly qualified to lead this Association.
“A native Montanan, I was born and raised in Helena, MT. I grew up loving the outdoors and playing sports. I finished my Exercise Physiology degree at the University of Montana in 2004 and made Missoula my home. I pursued a career in the fitness industry and still am involved in the industry. I love to adventure and spend time in the outdoors
with my dogs, skiing, hiking, biking, and on the river…My love for gardening and plants inspired me to work in the nursery industry.” Aaron plans to focus on “Growing membership…and emphasizing the importance of the impact of the MNLA on the horticultural community” during her term on the Board of Directors. Aaron currently works as Project Manager at Pro Sweep Plus while pursuing a degree in Landscape Design. She was previously the Assistant Manager at Montana ACE The Garden Place, where she worked since 2015. Aaron has already made an incredible addition to the MNLA team! Please reach out to Aaron or any of the other Board members with your questions and ideas. They are a great group, and truly have your best interests at heart. Their contact information can be found near the front of this Leaflet.
October 2023 Peter Heil called the meeting to order. The September meeting minutes and financials were reviewed and approved. Expo booth sales are still coming in and we are still looking for vendors. Membership dues are still coming in. Kristi reported one new CPP from the September exam. She would like to update the winter samples and include photos for the January exam. We were able to meet the Specialty Block Grant deadline with materials to the printer. We came in $2,500 under budget. Mike updated his progress on the Northern Rockies Tree School, with Henry Kuppen as keynote speaker. Other Expo plans and CEU credit classes are on track. The Best of Montana entries are coming in with November 15th as the deadline. The Fall Leaflet is in progress. Montana Native Plant Society joined our Fall Tour in Great Falls, thanks to all the tour hosts, and James and Erin with Greenup Lawn, Landscape, and Sprinklers for their planning help. The Billings Chapter Fall Field Day had around 90 folks attending, thanks to River Ridge Landscape for hosting. We sponsored Saluting Branches in Billings for the first time with 3 MNLA member businesses participating and around 60 folks attending. It is time to look for a new 3rd Vice President candidate and MNLA Member of the Year.
November 2023 The meeting was called to order by President Matt Watts. The October meeting minutes and financials were reviewed and approved. We have had great member feedback on the new Tree & Shrub catalogs. Postcards for the NRTS were sent out and registrations are coming in. Expo details were reviewed, and we reminded board members to round up Silent Auction donations for the Scholarship Fund. Gina, Peter, Pat and Kristi will be making suggestions for the Expo book table order. Peter is putting together judges for the Best of Montana entries. Gina is working on all the details for the printing for Expo attendees and finding ways to reduce printing and mailing costs. We are still considering Member of the Year and Lifetime Member awards.
December 2023 President Matt Watts called the meeting to order. The November meeting minutes and financials were reviewed and approved. Frank reported that nursery license totals are up but reminds everyone that they could save license late
fees by paying on time. Kristi expects 3-4 folks will take the CPP exam. Mike and Gina reported strong registrations for NRTS and Wednesday workshops and all NRTS classes have been approved for ISA credits. Gina reviewed Expo registration numbers and booth sale numbers. Peter reported that the Best of Montana winners have been chosen and Gina will order plaques for the winners. Expo details are progressing with everyone pitching in to finish them up. The Billings Chapter has offered to help Bozeman members get a Chapter going. Kristi will seek out Bozeman area folks interested. It was decided that this year’s Expo Book Table proceeds go to the scholarship fund. Member of the Year and Lifetime Member were chosen. Matt is nominating Aaron Mihelish from Ace Fancy Plants for 3rd Vice President. We will send 2 board members to AMTOPP to host our MNLA table.
January 2024 Matt Watts called the meeting to order with all board members present. The December meeting minutes and financials were reviewed and approved. Gina noted that end of the year numbers are still being finalized. The Expo and NRTS budgets, registrations, and booth sales were reviewed, with good registration in all areas. Final board member Expo assignments and chores were reviewed in detail. We discussed changing the September Fall Tour to July 25th-26th with details to come. The 2024 Tour will be in Missoula and the Bitterroot with John Spray as Tour Chair this year. The 2025 Expo will be in Missoula. Conference attendance was discussed. The Montana DNRC has proposed a Statewide Drought Management Plan. The board will follow that process to see how it will affect our members.
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This is one in a three-part series of articles focusing on legacy planning.
Are you one of 7 out of 10 who do not have a will? If yes, do not put off your responsibility for another day. Now is the time to make decisions about what legacy you want to leave to your selected beneficiaries.
You will first need to organize information to enable you to have your legal documents written, according to Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economist Specialist. She has written a MontGuide called “Getting Started” that will help you know what to pull together for the attorney so your will can be executed and self-proven (meaning witnesses sign in from a notary who also signs and notarizes the will).
If you are not yet convinced of the need for a written will, read the MSU Extension MontGuide “Dying Without a Will”. It tells you how your assets are distributed under state law if you are a Montana resident and pass away without a written will. Another way to learn who receives your property is at the MSU Extension web site. By responding to questions, you will learn about the division of property if you die without a will https://www. montana.edu/dyingwithoutawill/.
“Some people assume Montana law would distribute property the same way they would,” said Goetting. “But when we had a study-at-home course about estate planning, 85 percent of the participants indicated that law would not distribute property the same way they would.”
Let’s say a husband dies without a will with property valued at $800,000 . The property is titled in his name only. His parents and spouse survive him. Instead of the spouse receiving all the money and property, Montana law grants a surviving spouse only the first $300,000 in value of the estate and three-fourths of the balance. The remaining assets pass equally to the deceased’s parents. This means his surviving spouse receives $675,000, and the parents receive $62,500 each.
If the husband had written a will, he would have control over the distribution of all his solely owned assets. “If the husband wanted to leave all assets to his surviving spouse, he needs to write a will. Because he didn’t his wife receives $125,000 less.” In this second example, Goetting says that wills and contracts may sometimes be at odds. Take for example, a dad who remarried after the death of his wife. Upon his marriage he retitled the home in joint tenancy with right of survivorship with his new wife to show his love. Assume the dad wrote a will leaving the home to his children from a prior marriage because they helped him build it. However, the joint tenancy title is a contract, giving it priority over Dad’s will. Dad has disinherited his children without realizing it. The surviving joint tenant, his new wife, inherits everything he had in joint tenancy with her, the savings accounts, the checking account, the home, and a section of land. Goetting suggests that Dad visit with an attorney to see what he could do to assure his wife is taken care of financially while his children inherit the house.
Another advantage of a will is that it can include a provision for a separate list of personal property. This list can make it easier for surviving family members to follow the deceased’s wishes about who receives emotional treasured items, such as grandpa’s railroad watch, a quilt made by a best friend, the anvil Dad used when shoeing horses, and a yellow pie plate, said Goetting.
More information about getting started with estate planning, wills, property ownership, and a separate list of tangible person property is available in an MSU Extension MontGuide which is online at https://www.montana.edu/estateplanning/ eppublications.html. For those who do not have computer access, copies are available from Goetting at 406-994-5695 or marsha.goetting@montana.edu.
It’s not often that we get to recognize individuals for the extraordinary contributions they have made to both the MNLA and the greater horticulture community. Brad and Desi Brown, of Glacier Nursery, were recently awarded an honorary Lifetime Membership for their exceptional commitment and service to the industry. Longtime employee Shane Rogers joined us during our annual Awards Banquet at the Montana Green Expo to share some fun pictures and incredible stories of the integrity of the Browns. They are most deserving of this Lifetime Membership honor, and we are proud to have them as part of the MNLA family.
This year marked the first time the Northern Rockies Tree School was hosted at the Montana Green Expo, and it did not disappoint! We kicked off the 3-day event with a day of in-depth workshops. Workshop offerings included the ever-popular Irrigation College, CEU credit-heavy Plant Health Care Clinic, First Aid CPR course, and a Veteran Tree Care Workshop that took attendees to the Yellowstone Arboretum for hands-on demonstrations and group work. After a little learning, we met for a Welcome Reception to relax and catch up with old friends. Seminars began the following morning, with industry experts flying in to join us from all over the country… and world. International tree consultant, Henry Kuppen, travelled from the Netherlands to give a fascinating Keynote on the history of pleached trees in Western Europe. One example Henry showed during his presentation was a 400-year-old tree that holds a 970 sq. ft. dancing floor within its canopy! It was a fascinating presentation, exposing us to practices that aren’t typically seen in our section of the globe. After a full day of learning, everyone met to unwind and celebrate some of Montana’s best at our annual Awards Banquet. We honored projects and service, and then raised some money for the MNLA Scholarship Fund through a fun silent auction and 50/50 raffle ticket sales. We were able to raise over $7,000 this year! Thank you to everyone who supported the auction through donations and purchases. Now we’re ready to give out some scholarships!
Throughout the conference we heard from speakers on topics ranging from Pest Control Myths to Sustainable Landscapes, Utilizing Drones for Site Layout, Seed Saving, Growing Profits Using Job Costing, Native Plants, Soil Health, Panel Discussion on Planting Techniques, how to Shut-UP and Solve the Conflict, Social Media Tips and Tricks….and so much more. The wide variety covered every segment of the green industry, with different perspectives and new practices to pique our interest and grow our knowledge.
The marrying of the Northern Rockies Tree School with the Green Expo brought a stellar speaker line-up. It was one for the books! We’re looking forward to holding both events simultaneously again in Missoula next year. You won’t want to miss it. It’s just what we need the light the fire under us to get another season started.
Northern Rock ies TreeSch ool Montana
